Masjid Nabawi Madinah

Tomorrow, 30/04/2011 I will be leaving for Mekah where umrah will begin. Even though my stay here in Madinah is just hotel - Masjid Nabawi and of course the shopping haven in between.. (so help me God)... I am just in love with the place. Just sitting at the walk-way of the mosque is enough to give you the serenity, the calmness you don't find elsewhere amidst the thousands of people of all sizes and nationalilty. Mind you, we are the smaller version of 'human beings'... praying is not at all like how we do it back home! They step, they cross over you, don't even talk about being pushed and you loose that two by four feet of space even, BUT you will NEVER fret, never complain! You can be praying at your supposedly space, and someone will simply park themself smack in front of you... hahaha.. you'd wonder, "how do I continue?" but you simply do! Simply amazing. 

Then there is the inside of the mosque... where RasulAllah lies, his tomb, his 'garden of eden'... one may be queing for nothing less than 5 hours but you'd still wait patiently because what awaits you inside... no words can describe.

Of course, the shopping haven... business is non stop.. so to speak. However, as the Azan goes and prayer begins, that's when everything is 'abandoned' and everyone gives themselves to the Almighty simultaneously... I probably can sit and watch all this for ages and still be in awe... 

So, tomorrow I shall move on... I will be back, if God grants my wishes. In time... I shall miss my tiny space and short time in Madinah...  tremendously.

It is now 12.41pm... (5.41pm Malaysian) Friday prayers going on in a while. The ambulance's siren triggered again... someone died. Practically every prayer, someone goes through the burial process. How lucky that soul is....


photo of Masjid Nabawi taken just after fajr this morning (29/04/11)

KLIA-Jeddah-Madinah-Mekah-Jeddah-KLIA

The Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year. In Arabic, Umrah means "to visit a populated place". As a technical term used in the Sharia, Umrah means to perform Tawaf round the Kaaba and Sa'i between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, after assuming Ihram (a sacred state), either from a Miqat like Zu 'l-Hulafa, Juhfa, Qarnu 'l-Manāzil, Yalamlam, Zāt-i-'Irq, Ibrahīm Mursīa, or a place in Hill. It is sometimes called the 'minor pilgrimage' or 'lesser pilgrimage', the Hajj being the 'major' pilgrimage and which is compulsory for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. The Umrah is not compulsory but highly recommended. ~ Wikipedia

It has been four years now since I have been asking to go. Be it Umrah or Hajj, begging Allah to give me a chance to step-foot in front of Kaabah, at least once in my lifetime, of course as many as possible. FINALLY!! Finally, it is answered. Only God knows how excited I am, happiness that over-rules everything else. The thought that I will be there in front of Kaabah, I have no words to express.

So, my journey begins.. 27th April 2011 was my flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport which was due at 3pm (GMT +8). It was an eight hour flight which means I shall reach Jeddah at 11pm (Malaysian) which is 6pm Saudi! Also means, I will not see moonlight till I set foot on Jeddah’s soil… travelling back in time… so to speak.

LABBAIK ALLAHUMMA LABBAIK

 

 

I am posting this from my hotel room - Holiday Villa Madinah who has internet coverage from the room. Yay!!

The moon

it’s exif: Nikon D3000; Aperture f/10.0 (top) f/13.0 (below); Shutter 1/160s (top) 1/80s (below); ISO 200; Focal length 200mm; Mode: A; White balance: auto; taken on 14/04/2011 at 23:17 GMT +8

it’s exif: Nikon D3000; Aperture f/6.3; Shutter 1/200s; ISO 100; Focal length 200mm; Mode: M; White balance: auto; taken on 18/04/2011 at 22:31 GMT +8